Quietly, beyond the reach of scurrilous headlines, a review of the way forward for the NHS is underway. Quietly – maybe too quietly – this goes on, away from the partisan shouting around Brexit and the various fights going on within the Labour and Conservative parties. Maybe there is a political consensus – a place of sensible consideration: that we have an important asset in our health service, but it cannot continue into the next 70 years as it has done with its first 70 years.
Daniel Singleton
The NHS – how far we’ve come in seventy years
Who would have thought that, at its birth 70 years ago, the NHS would still be standing today? That’s quite some achievement – and back in 1948, life expectancy was only 66 for men and 71 for women; 70 years later, it’s 77 for men and 81 for women. So, we’re certainly living longer now; […]
Local elections – what do I care?
There are local elections taking place this week and, with the comings and goings at the Home Office, politics at home is very much the focus of the news media – but what does it have to do with those of us on the frontline in grassroots faith and community organisations? It’s true that there […]
NHS pressures, faith organisations and community-based services – why won’t we use what’s already there?
Ten years on from the banking crisis and the start of austerity, cuts are still biting and the effects of real term reductions in spending are felt by most of us. Yet, we also know that the misuse of resources too has a huge effect – particularly when it comes to the NHS and social […]
Is building an integrated country the great challenge of our time?
At dinner last week with a number of friends from Eastern Europe, our conversation moved from the nerve agent attack in Salisbury to what patriotism meant to us and who felt they belonged and wanted to stay in the UK. My dinner companions were all skilled English speakers, but yet some did not feel they […]
When it comes to integration, removing barriers is essential – but people need a place to connect
The Government has released its long-awaited integration strategy, developed methodically behind the scenes with the close involvement of civil society organisations – including providers of community-based English programmes like Creative English. As Eric Pickles, former Secretary of State for Communities, said when the 2010 coalition government launched the community English programme: “If you can’t speak […]
Don’t pay the NHS an extra £350million a week!
Don’t pay the NHS an extra £350million a week, but well done to Simon Steven’s who may have single-handedly moved the Brexit debate on from political machinations, to life after Brexit and what we want it to be. The NHS will always need more cash, and there should be a steady increase of what it […]
If we’re going to have ‘British values’, can we add these?
Teachers all over the country are trying to find ways to add the government’s ‘British values’ to their lessons. The British values are: democracy the rule of law individual liberty mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith
Since when did we allow news to be supplanted by commentary?
I’m fed up with commentary and opinion masquerading as fact and news! This happens when those who are supposedly ‘reporters or correspondents’ have become pundits, yet there has been no indication of the change in their role. That’s not to say I don’t engage with commentary: I buy news magazines, I read blogs, I watch […]
A place for faith in the public square? Grenfell response suggests there is.
There are so many legitimate responses to the terrible fire at Grenfell. We have seen care and compassion, but there will also be a need for inquiry and justice. The local community responded practically with food and clothes, so rapidly that some reception centres had to ask for the temporary halt of spontaneous giving. And […]